The death of Khamenei and the end of an era

Plus: Trump rolls the Iron dice.

Sunday, March 1, 2026   Rafaela Jinich Assistant editor This weekend, the United States and Israel launched a major joint attack on Iran, and President Trump announced that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader, had been killed. "The U.S. is once again on the front lines of conflict" in Iran, my colleagues Nancy A. Youssef and Jonathan Lemire wrote yesterday, "with the desire to overthrow a nation's government. How long war lasts—and where it leads Iran—is not up to just Trump or Israel. The fate of a war Trump sees as shaping his legacy is now in the hands of both the regime and the people inside Iran." Below, our writers explore what went into the attack, and what might come next. Your Reading List (Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP / Getty)   The Death of Khamenei and the End of an Era By Karim Sadjadpour His life's work was to preserve a revolution that is heading for the ash heap. Read the article. (Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty)   Trump Rolls the Iron Dice By Eliot A. Cohen The uncertainties of Trump's attack on Iran are enough to justify some queasy doubts. Read the article. (Hugo Clarence Janody / Hans Lucas / Redux)   'The Worst-Case Outcome Is Complete Chaos' By Shane Harris, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Nancy A. Youssef, Ashley Parker, Jonathan Lemire, Michael Scherer Killing the supreme leader was one thing. Ousting the regime will be another. Read the article. (Majid Saeedi / Getty)   Trump Has No Plan for the Iranian People By Anne Applebaum The mere act of bombing Iran will not by itself create a stable regime. Read the article. Smoke rises after Iran carried out a missile strike on the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. (Reuters)   Iran Goes to War Against the Arabs By Graeme Wood Countries such as Saudi Arabia once wondered whether Tehran could be appeased and contained. Now they do not. Read the article. (Celal Gunes / Anadolu / Getty)   The Paradox of Trump's Iran Attack By David Frum When his fantasies unravel, Trump has a habit of abusing power to force his will upon an uncooperative world. Read the article. (Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / Getty)   Trump's Enormous Gamble on Regime Change in Iran By Tom Nichols A few paths to success, many to failure Read the article. From the Culture Desk When did literature get less dirty? Nine books to reset your view of the world Slow down, Charli XCX. Michael Pollan punctures the AI bubble. The meme from 2016 that explains 2026 Young men aren't the only ones struggling. Catch Up on The Atlantic What happens to Anthropic now? Elon Musk moves against the Russians in Ukraine. The "crazy" plot to release the Epstein files Photo Album Long-range AN-196 Liutyi drones stand in line before takeoff in an undisclosed location in Ukraine last year. (Evgeniy Maloletka / AP)   After four years of war, constant bombardment continues in Ukraine, at the cost of many thousands of lives. Here are some images from the front lines. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here. Play our daily crossword. Explore all of our newsletters. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Most Popular on The Atlantic The Death of Khamenei and the End of an Era 'The Worst-Case Outcome Is Complete Chaos' Trump Rolls the Iron Dice The Paradox of Trump's Iran Attack Trump Has No Plan for the Iranian People Introducing Premium Plus Unlimited access for you and three others. The Atlantic scrapbook, an essential addition to any subscriber's library. And a special tote. All for less than $4 a week. Subscribe

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